Character Name:
Humble, shy, brave and responsible. The Virgin can always be relied on, and timid manners hide true courage before danger. She may not be a literal virgin, but her intentions are pure and she always means the best. Alas, many people consider The Virgin immature, naive or insignificant, so her opinion is rarely heard and it is much harder for her to convince others that she might be right.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you hide in a closed space with no safe way out, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, choose the character you trusted the most. If they try to avenge your death, they take a sympathy point. If they try to save themselves, they lose a sympathy point.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
You get this move.
Audience favorite - You only need 4 sympathy points to come back.
Also pick one of these.
I'm into survival - When you think on the spot, ask 1 additional question. You can ask 1 question even on a miss, but The Director still makes a move against you.
Scream Queen - You are able to let out blood curdling screams that haunt the audience for a while. When you roll a miss on escape or struggle with horror moves, take 2 sympathy points instead of one.
Fight Smart - When you use your surroundings or lay traps against the current threat, charge with Smarts instead of Body.
I won't leave you! - If you suffer harm protecting your loved ones, take +1 forward.
Final Girl - If there are only two protagonists left alive, yourself included, take +1 ongoing for any charge rolls. If you are the only protagonist left alive, take a sympathy point as well
Smart, shy, witty and dorky. The Nerd is often made fun of and rarely (if ever) gets laid. So they hide their insecurities behind huge amounts of savviness, including the genre savviness.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you separate from a group to satiate your curiosity, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, you can choose another character and declare you have left a clue for them concerning the movie’s plot. Describe how they can obtain your message. As soon as it is obtained, the chosen character can ask 1 question to unveil the hidden.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
Thank God, I'm a virgin - You only need 4 sympathy points to come back, like The virgin playbook.
Inner Courage - You are braver than you think. When you struggle with horror and roll 10+, take +1 forward.
I'm getting outta here! - When you escape, making things worse for others (leaving your friends behind, dropping important stuff etc.) take +1 ongoing until you have escaped.
Geek in distress - When you are in danger and another character successfully saves you, they take 1 sympathy point.
Horror fan - You know all the rules and all the cliches to survive in a horror movie. When you unveil the hidden or think on the spot, you can add the following questions to the list.
You have to believe me! - When you are trying to convince someone of something outlandish or trying to prove something seemingly impossible, take +1 forward to get what you want.
Vain, sexy, bratty and popular. The Chick attracts attention in any company and things always go her way. At least, they would have, but the horror universe despises beautiful, successful people for some reason. So The Chick is usually one of the first to end up in danger.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you ignore weird and suspicious occurrences to appease your desires, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, choose a character who is going to hear your screams or stumble upon your corpse. From sheer shock, this character takes +1 forward to escape or charge>.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
Damsel in distress - You start the movie with -1 sympathy points. In return, you get +1 Charms (max 3).
Alpha bitch - When you insult, humiliate or embarrass another character, take +1 forward for your bloated self-esteem. If it is a player character, they take a sympathy point.
Come on, this isn't funny! - You never know when it is better to shut up. When you attract attention to yourself in an obviously tense or creepy situation, take a sympathy point.
Sex appeal - When you use your looks and sexiness to get what you want, treat 7-9 as 10+. Take -1 forward to any move except for get what you want afterwards..
Surprise discovery - You can suddenly bump into something scary and connected to the plot. Take a fear point to ask a question from the unveil the hidden move without having to roll.
Dick move - When you betray another character to achieve a selfish goal, roll with Smarts. On 10+, your plan succeeds, and The Director makes a move against the betrayed character. On 7-9, your plan succeeds but you lose a sympathy point. On a miss, you lose a sympathy point, and The Director makes a move against you.
Rude, masculine, handsome and rough. The Jock is bathing in fame and adoration because of his strength, toughness and awesomeness. He is the fastest, strongest and meanest badass around here, and doomed are those who try to mess with him! At least, that is what The Jock thinks.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you attract attention by being rude and loud, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, you can charge one last time with +1 forward.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
The Bully - When you physically humiliate another character, take +1 forward for how powerful you feel. If it is a player character, they take a sympathy point.
Big friend - When you successfully protect or save other characters from danger using your physical prowess, take a sympathy point.
Talk to the fist - When you get what you want through intimidation, threats or violence, even on 7-9, you get it with no strings attached. Instead, you lose a sympathy point.
Athletic beauty - When you get what you want by showing off and making impressions, take +1 forward.
If I don't come back... - When you come into a conflict facing certain death, take +1 forward. If you step down from a challenge and take a safer route, take -1 forward.
Screams like a girl - You react to scary things in a ridiculously cowardly manner, very inappropriate for your macho image. When something scary comes your way, you can take a fear point to take a sympathy point as well.
Moody, hardened and traumatized. The Scarred met with the true nightmare once and made it out alive, but at the cost of their soul. They live their life in fear of the next meeting with evil. This meeting is going to be inevitable and merciless as fate itself.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you open up to another character and share the burden of your past with them, remove a fear point. This character loses a sympathy point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, give your hideout (see Moves—Hideout) one more advantage or remove one disadvantage. If nobody knows about your hideout yet, choose a character to give access to it.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
You get this move.
After all these years... - When you come face to face with any monster of the movie, you can declare it is the monster you had faced before. Describe briefly how your last fight went and roll with Bravery.
Also pick one of these.
He who fights monsters - When you put another character in danger to get a shot at hurting the evil, take +1 forward. This character takes a sympathy point.
Ready for a rematch - When you train obsessively to prepare for the next battle with the evil, you can take -1 forward to get no consequences on your next Body roll.
Properly paranoid - When you act with suspicion and hostility against someone, you can get what you want from them as if you rolled 10+, but you lose a sympathy point.
It's the only way - When you need a special weapon or ingredient to beat a monster, roll with Smarts. On 10+, you have it ready and prepared. On 7-9, you have it but something is wrong with it: The Director will tell you what. On a miss, you have it, but the evil adapts, and The Director makes a move against you.
You have a special place where you (and maybe others) can hide from danger. Choose two advantages and two disadvantages for it.
Advantages
well hidden
easy to defend
has supplies
has weapons
Disadvantages
takes time to get to it
space for only one
easy for evil to find
easy for evil to break in
Sage, mysterious and truly faithful. The Exorcist does not face evil by accident. They go to fight it deliberately, to strike the forces of darkness with the knowledge of secret lore and the might of pure faith.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you openly provoke evil entities to contact or fight you, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, hold one. Use that hold to turn any roll of any character into 10+.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
Take me instead! - When you ask evil forces to attack you instead of other characters and you do not try to protect yourself, all other characters can exit the scene safely. Whatever was coming for them is coming for you.
Vatican's libraries - You have access to a special library, archive or database concerning the supernatural. When you use this source of knowledge to unveil the hidden, ask 1 additional question. On a miss, you can still ask 1 additional question, but The Director makes a move against you.
God bless you - When you mystically bless another character, give them one of your sympathy points.
Strength of convinction - When you try to get what you want using religious or mystical arguments, take +1 forward.
Fear no evil - When you struggle with horror and roll 7-9, you do not take -1 forward.
The power of Christ compels you! - You can bind and banish evil entities using ancient rites and prayers. When you do so, roll with Bravery.
On 10+, evil is gone from the current scene (bound, forced to leave, isolated etc.) On 7-9, choose one:
On a miss, evil laughs at your feeble prayers. Take a fear point, and The Director makes a move against you.
Scrupulous, simple-minded, methodical and dimwitted. The Sheriff’s job is to protect law and order, be it against stupid drunk kids or appallingly scary abominations.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you go alone to investigate weirdness or chase after a threat, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, you motivate your comrades to avenge you. Remove one flawantage of your backup (see Moves—Backup).
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
Ain't afraid of no ghost - When you roll a miss on unveil the hidden move, you do not take a fear point. The Director still makes a move against you.
Don't mess with me, kid! - When you act angry and hostile to a secondary character, roll with Body. On 10+, they crack and give you something connected to the plot. On 7-9, you also attract someone’s hostile attention. On a miss, something scary enters the scene before you can learn anything.
No! Not them! - When you face certain death protecting other characters, take a sympathy point.
Guy with a gun - When you use ranged weapons to charge, take +1 forward.
Cool car - You have a transport that allows you to do your job more efficiently. Choose one merit and one flaw for it.
Merits
fast
bench seats
durable
radio
weapons
Flaws
one-man
fragile
slow
hard to start
breaks easily
You have several men under your command: rookie soldiers, younger hunters, guardsmen etc. Once per movie, you can call them for help, information or something else. Choose two advantages and two disadvantages for them.
Advantages
they believe whatever you say
they know something you do not
they are decent fighters
they can arrive quickly
flawantages
they are skeptical
they take their time to arrive
they are dumb and careless
they are weak fighters
Cute, strange and sensitive. The Kid is very vulnerable and often falls prey to evil, so adults have to save and protect them. But however weak they may be, The Kid is also very perceptive, can see the unseen and find the unfindable.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you warn adults about danger in an obscure or eerie manner, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, choose a character who serves as your parental figure. This character takes 2 fear points or loses all sympathy points, their choice.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
No children were harmed - Before the movie starts, roll with Charms. On 10+, hold two, on 7-9, hold one. Spend a hold to make a specific threat ignore you for a scene. On a miss, The Director holds one to turn any of your rolls into a miss.
Cute and popular - You only need 4 sympathy points to come back, like The Virgin playbook.
Open mind - You are able to connect spiritually with evil forces and learn the hidden truth about them. When you do it to unveil the hidden, treat 7-9 as 10+. On a miss, your own mind is contaminated: the Director will make you do something you desperately do not want to.
Living bait - When you willingly put yourself in harm’s way or attract hostile attention, take a sympathy point. Any character trying to save you takes +1 forward.
Creepy games - When you perform some childish activity (chalking, playing with dolls etc.) to reveal the plot’s hidden truth, take +1 forward to unveil the hidden. This way, you can even learn things you have no means to learn. On a miss, your games reveal someone’s horrible fate: name the character, and the Director makes a move against them.
Innocent charm - When you get what you want from a player’s character, on a miss, they get no sympathy points by doing the opposite of what you want.
Unusual, unpredictable and full of surprises. The Outcast always represents some kind of minority and usually does not get along with peers. Nobody knows what to expect from The Outcast. Nobody knows if they are the first to die or will they save everybody in the end.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When someone proposes a plan and you do the opposite or act contrary, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, ask every player if their character feels remorse for mistreating you in the past. If they do, they take a sympathy point. If they do not, they take a fear point
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
You get this move.
Hidden depths - Take any move from The Chick, The Nerd or The Jock playbook.
Also pick one of these.
Alone in danger - When you end up alone against lethal danger, take +1 forward to struggle with horror or charge.
My buddy is out there - Before the movie starts roll with Smarts. On 10+, hold two. On 7-9, hold one. Spend holds to appear in a scene just in the right position to help another character when they need it. On a miss, The Director holds one to turn one of your rolls into a miss.
First to die - If you die while still having sympathy points, you can give one of them to any character you choose.
Come and get me, asshole! - You can get what you want from monsters by taunting and insulting them. If you do so, on 7-9, you suffer harm.
Stoic longer - When you struggle with horror, on 10+, you are so stoic and deadpan you actually inspire others. Everybody who is in a scene with you takes +1 forward.
Cranky, energetic and knowledgeable. The Professor stubbornly looks for the best solution even in most horrible predicaments, and their knowledge may be of great help to others. However, knowledge is a dangerous weapon in horror movies, and The Professor sometimes causes more harm than good.
Pick one.
Body: Bravery: Charms: Smarts:
Sympathy:
You can get sympathy points by: failing a roll, using certain playbooks moves, or by playing out relationships with other characters.
You can spend sympathy points to trigger two basic moves: get lucky and come back.
Fear:
If you fill up all of your character's fear points, you can spend 5 sympathy points to come back.
Otherwise, your character becomes a threat.
Fear Move: When you delegate an important task to someone less competent, remove a fear point.
Health:
When you suffer harm, mark a box above.
Once per movie, when you suffer harm, you can immediately cancel it by choosing a trauma instead. When you have a trauma, rolls with affected attribute are one tier lower.
When you mark all the boxes above, your character has died. You can then activate your death move.
Traumas
Wound (Body)
Panic (Bravery)
Mutilation (Charms)
Shock (Smarts)
Death Move: When you die, name the character you see as your apprentice or successor. This character gains one of your picked moves until the movie ends.
After everyone introduces their characters, pick one for every character.
Pick two of these.
Monologuing - When you perform a passionate monologue describing some horrible truth, roll with Charms. On a hit, your speech is eloquent and inspiring: everybody who can hear you takes +1 forward. On 7-9, your speech is also spooky and fills hearts with dread: one character of your choosing also takes a fear point. On a miss, your speech is plain terrifying: everybody who can hear you takes a fear point.
Mad Scientist - When you make a crazy experiment trying to solve your current problem, roll with Smarts. On a hit, it works and solves your problem. On 10+, choose one. On 7-9, choose two.
On a miss, it works in the sickest and most destructive way. It may solve your problem, but The Director makes a move against you.
Occult truths - Take any move from The Exorcist playbook.
Mad from revelation - When you unveil the hidden, take a fear point to ask 3 questions without making a roll.
Commanding presence - When you enter a scene in a dramatic or menacing fashion, roll with Bravery. On 10+, everyone immediately stops doing whatever they were doing until you do something. On 7-9, you pick one character (monsters included) to stop. On a miss, The Director immediately makes a move against you.
What have I done!? - When you confront a monster, you can declare that you are responsible, fully or partially, for its creation or release. Describe how it happened. Your next charge against this monster will count as 10+, but you cannot use the come back move for the rest of the movie.
When you escape from direct danger, roll with Body (if you use physical strength and dexterity, like climbing on a tree or punching through a door) or with Bravery (if you use self-control and willpower, like driving a car on a fragile rotting bridge).
On a hit, you escape for now.
On 7-9, you escape but suffer a setback, choose one.
When you have leverage over another character, and you try to get something from them, roll with Charms. What counts as “leverage” may differ, but usually you have to either exploit a personal relationship with this character or provide a definite argument why they should comply.
On a hit, you are able to convince, influence or manipulate them.
If it is a non-player character:
If it is a player character:
When you have to act all calm and rational in scary situations, roll with Bravery. This move covers any dangerous situations where no other move can be applied. It also covers situations where you have to react to something scary by standing still, hiding, holding your breath, etc.
On a hit, you overcome your fear, do what you want and do not succumb to panic.
On 7-9, you succeed but fear takes its toll: take -1 forward.
On a miss, you are so scared you mess things up: take a fear point, and the Director makes a move against you.
Helping another character can also trigger this move. On a hit, the character you have helped takes +1 forward. You still resolve the move according to the instructions above.
When you research and investigate to pierce the plot’s mysteries, roll with Smarts. “Research” is a broad term: you can go through old books of legends, observe ancient tombstones, hit Google for information, etc.
On a hit, you can ask questions about the plot, and The Director has to answer honestly. On 10+, ask two. On a 7-9, ask one.
On a miss, the plot’s horrible truth damages your sanity: take a fear point.
Remember: you can only use a particular method of research once. You cannot just look through an old cemetery again and again and again, gaining new answers. When the move is made it means you have found all there is to learn here. You have to use another method of research to learn more.
When you use violence and physical prowess to solve problems, roll with Body. On a hit, you harm your opposition or put them where you want (e.g. push the monster downstairs or break the door open).
Violence always has consequences. On 10+, choose one. On 7-9, choose two.
When you come up with a solution or escape plan in the middle of danger, roll with Smarts. On a hit, you can ask questions about your predicament, and The Director has to answer honestly. On 10+, ask two. On 7-9, ask one.
If you act according to answers, take +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. If, for example, you escape from the madman’s house, keep +1 ongoing until you are outside.
When you want something fortunate to happen to you, spend a sympathy point and choose one:
If you want to take +1 forward, you need to spend a sympathy point before your next move.
If you choose to find something useful, you declare that you can easily get just the right item for your immediate problem. For example, you have a gun in your locket to stand a chance against zombies. The limit here is that an item only gives you a chance to succeed, not a guaranteed success.
If you choose to create an opportunity, you make a slight alteration to the scene. For example, when you are trapped in a windowless basement, you can say that the basement does have a window, just a small one. The limit here is that you can only alter one detail: you can say the basement has a window or that it is bulletproof - but not both. This alteration also cannot resolve the scene’s conflict entirely, only give you an advantage.
When your character dies or turns insane, you have a chance to bring them back. Spend 5 sympathy points and describe how your character survived. Maybe we did not see what really happened, or maybe the mortal wound was not so mortal after all, or maybe your character recovers after a short panic.
If you bring a dead character back to life, take 1 Health point back. Your character can appear in the next scene, any moment you want.
If you bring back a character who turned insane from fear, remove 1 fear point. Your character stays sane, and you can play them further.